Waist Deep 2018 - April 4

Psalm 28: 6, 7 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (NIV)

They who pray well, will soon praise well.*

The verses prior to these contain David’s prayer, while these two contain his response of praise. We don’t know the specific incident that inspired his words, but chances are that while his circumstances didn’t change, he did.* Whatever happened, David’s faith was strengthened, and he gave praise and thanks to God. Here, he lists some characteristics of God: strength, protection, trustworthiness, help. These are the mercies that he grants us.

We are thankful that God hears our cries, but hearing isn’t always the same as fulfilling our requests. When God grants mercy, it is not necessarily in the form of deliverance from our enemies or trials. We know what it’s like to hear “no” or “wait” in answer to our prayers. Even Jesus, when he prayed to be spared from the horrible ordeal he was about to face at Calvary, was submissive to the Father’s will instead of getting what he asked for. (Luke 22: 42)

What would your life be like if God indulged you instead of granting you the mercy of denying your requests? Can you praise him when nothing in the world seems to change but you?

Faithful servants have a way of knowing answered prayer when they see it, and a way of not giving up when they don’t.*